Louisa
by VerityFrancesB
Summary: After meeting a girl in the park, Gibbs's life changes dramatically. Can she get him to open up?
1. Who are you looking for?

* * *

_Ok, so I kinda stole this idea from CSI:NY, so don't sue me, because I don't own CSI or NCIS. So this takes place after Judgement Day, although Gibbs has got back Tony, McGee and Ziva, don't ask how, cos I don't know! Just accept it! _

_Tihs kinda came to me last night and wouldn't leave me alobe so I had to get it down. _

* * *

That day that his life changed forever started exactly the same way as any other day. His team was irritating him, nothing out of the ordinary there. Vance had annoyed him to the point where Gibbs had shouting and walking out of the office. That in its self wasn't unusual. The looks his team had given him as he stormed out weren't unusual either, this incessant calling on his cell to find out where he was, was completely ordinary. Sitting on a bench nursing a stronger than usual coffee was normal. The 17 year old girl that literally fell into his lap was completely out of the ordinary.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry." She said, jumping up. "I lost my balance, I didn't hurt you did I? Oh God, how embarrassing." She stuttered. Gibbs glared at her for disrupting his brooding session and she placed her hands on her hips.

"There is no need to glare you know, it was an accident, it's not like I make a habit out of falling into old men's laps." She stared back and Gibbs laughed. She furrowed her brow.

"What are you laughing at?" She demanded. Gibbs patted the bench next to him and she sat down tentatively, looking warily at him.

"I'm not that old, you know?" She grimaced as she realized she had called him old and looked apologetically at him.

"I am really sorry about the whole 'lap' thing." She said, twirling a thread from her coat in her fingers.

"No harm done. I am more resilient than I look…for an old man." She winced again.

"You gonna let that go anytime soon?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Nope." She spared him a look. Her foster mother would find him gorgeous. His silver hair and piercing blue eyes made him look intense. But he had a sadness in them that looked bone deep. The muscles in his jaw were working over time and without thinking she placed a small hand on his arm. The muscles under her hand jumped but he gave no outward sign of being surprised. He turned towards her.

"You're a man of few words, aren't you?" She asked. He smiled as he nodded.

"A friend of mine talks enough for 20 people, so words aren't that important to me." He shrugged. She leant forward, smiling happily.

"You like one of those people that can guess what people are thinking and what they are like from just looking at there eyes?" She asked. He let out a small laugh. "What do mine say?"

He stared at her, her large green eyes were wide open for anyone to see, it was almost as if her face was a book, Gibbs got the impression that every emotion was played out in her eyes, no matter what her expression was. The eyes staring at him were startlingly familiar and it was making his chest hurt looking in them.

"I…uh…have to get back to work." He said, shaking his head slightly. He stood up and she jumped up after him.

"What do you do? No, let me guess…cool calm exterior, probably hiding a deadly assassin…Secret Agent?" She smiled and popped her gum. He shook his head again, this time in amusement.

"That's a good trick, but I really do have to go, it was…interesting to meet you…" He trailed off, aware that he hadn't got her name. She stuck out her hand.

"Louisa." He gave her a smile and grasped her hand.

"Gibbs." He said, and turned away. She bounded after him.

"Just Gibbs?" She stopped as he spun back to her, completely undeterred by his 'leave me alone now' expression and body language. Ok…Just Gibbs…Just one more question?" She asked, "Do you know where NCIS is? Nobody will help me." He stopped walked and turned back to her.

"Who are you looking for?" He asked. She cocked her head at him, her chocolate hair falling in front of her face and she brushed it back irritated. The action made his heart clench for a reason he couldn't put his finger on.

"My mother."

* * *

_Next chapter is nearly done._

_V!_

_xox_


	2. How do I tell her?

"She's cute."

"She's only about 17." Ziva stared disgustedly at Tony.

"She's still cute." Tony countered. McGee sighed and looked at Ziva, who rolled her eyes.

"You're disgusting." She said. Tony opened his mouth to argue when a large hand connected with the back of his head.

"Two words, DiNozzo…Jail Bait" Gibbs said, Louisa was trailing after him and she spared Tony and sympathetic look. He shrugged and flashed her a grin as he sat back at his desk. 20 minutes ago, Gibbs had walked back into the office, still in a bad mood, but this time with a young girl walking behind me, looking around in awe at the office. Gibbs had walked straight passed them, grabbed a file off his desk and gestured the girl to follow him and disappeared back into the elevators.

"What do you want me to do Boss, it's not like we've got a case at the moment..." He trailed off as Gibbs glared at him. "Work...right, on it Boss."

"I knew you guys were secret agents." Louisa piped up from behind the partition at the end of the bullpen. She stuck her head round.

"Actually, we aren't secret." McGee answered.

"Although a lot of people don't know we exist." Tony added. Ziva laughed and nodded at Louisa who looked confused.

"So, can you guys tell me where to find my mother?" She asked. Tony, McGee and Ziva exchanged looks as Gibbs grabbed her y the arm and hauled her towards to elevators.

"Hey!" She protested as the door closed, blocking out Gibbs response. Tony stared at Ziva.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

"Abby!" Gibbs shouted over the music. Louisa's eyes widened as a dark head with pig tails stuck out from behind a machine on the floor. The studded dogs collar was enough to make Louisa curious, but the 4 inch platform boots and knee high socks made her speechless. Not only that, but the fact that her face lit up with a grin and she bounced off the floor, all added to the young woman's extraordinary appearance.

"Gibbs!" She shouted over the music and grabbed the remote to turn it down. Once the music was at an acceptable volume, she turned towards them.

"What can I do for you today, Oh Great…whoa." She stopped as she took in Louisa. "Gibbs, she looks just like…" She said staring at the teenager. Louisa looked up at Gibbs whose jaw muscles were working overtime again.

"I know, Abs, can you just keep an eye on her for a while, I need to sort a few things out." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Louisa and Abby both said, causing both the girls to smile at each other.

"Where are you going?" Louisa asked. Gibbs carried on walking. She turned back to Abby. "Does he always just ignore people?" She asked. Abby put an arm around the girl.

"All the time, its part of his charm. So…tell me about yourself? Do you like Plastic Death?"

* * *

"Duck." Gibbs said as he walked into autopsy. Ducky turned from the cadaver he was working on.

"Ah Jethro. I see you have lost your shadow." Ducky smiled at his friend. Gibbs scowled slightly.

"Ducky, have you been holding out on me again?" He asked. Ducky frowned in confusion, he face relaxed as understanding crept up on him.

"Jethro, I didn't know. She never told me." Gibbs nodded. He hated having to ask Ducky, but he needed to know if he had been kept in the dark about something as important as this by his old friend again.

"She just literally fell into my lap Duck, you know I don't believe in coincidences." Ducky laughed.

"I know. She looks just like her mother doesn't she? Its quiet extraordinary actually, reminds me of a time when…" Ducky began only to be interrupted by Gibbs.

Duck, not now." Gibbs said, rubbing small circles into his temples. "I have got a 17 year old girl looking for her mother and I have no idea what to do with her." He sighed and Ducky handed him a glass of whiskey from the bottle in his desk. Gibbs drained the glass and handed it back.

"I think you need to tell her." Ducky said. Gibbs looked up at him.

"How do I tell her, her mother died to protect me?"

* * *

_I'm guessing you all know who her mother is by now?_

_V!_

_xox_


	3. Where to Begin

_Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, more should be coming soon..._

* * *

"So all you need to do is press that button and...voila...Major Mass Spec is working his magic." Abby's voice floated out of the lab.

"Major Mass Spec?" Louisa asked. "Do you name all your equipment?" Abby laughed.

"Yup," Gibbs, hanging in the hallway listening, imagined Abby leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially, "He's my favorite though." Louisa laughed, the sound was so like her mothers it pain Gibbs.

"So you fell into Gibbs lap? What was it like?" He heard Abby ask. "I have always imagined that he had really hard thighs, like a football player..." Gibbs shook his head as he walked through the door. Abby jumped off her chair and Louisa span around.

"Louisa, we're getting coffee." He announced. Louisa glanced at Abby who grinned.

"His bark is worse than his bite." She gave the girl a light push towards Gibbs and smiled at him over her head. Gibbs nodded once at Abby.

"So Major Mass Spec, this is certainly an interesting turn of events, isn't it?"

* * *

"Gibbs? What is going on?" Louisa's worried voice broke through his thoughts and he looked down at the girl. She had her mother's eyes, no doubt about it, and he didn't know why he hadn't realized she was Jen's daughter the minute she had fallen into his lap. It wasn't just her eyes, it was her whole face, she looked so like Jen, but different, unique. Her hair was dark brown with minute hints of red when the sun caught it, and Gibbs suddenly wondered what she would look like with the same pixie cut her mother used to have.

He gestured towards a chair and handed Louisa her, surprisingly, black coffee. She sat down and poured a ton of sugar into it. Gibbs wrinkled his nose.

"Louisa…" He began. She looked up at him, her eyes large with realization, and understanding.

"Its ok…I'm not stupid. She is dead isn't she?" Louisa swallowed and Gibbs resisted the urge to pull the girl into a hug.

"Yes." He said quietly. Louisa looked down at her coffee. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she bit her bottom lip, just like Jen, and nodded. She smiled through her swimming eyes.

"Thank you for the coffee, I've taken up too much of your time…I…uh…probably should go." She stood up to leave and Gibbs grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down.

"Sit." He commanded. She obeyed and sat down, furiously brushing the tear that had escaped from her cheek. Another tear escaped and she ignored it, letting it run down her cheek and fall to the table. She picked at her fingernail.

"What do I do now?" She asked, her voice small and helpless. She looked up at Gibbs and this time he didn't resist pulling her into a hug. She stiffened for a second before her small arms wound around his waist and she took a deep breath before pushing away. Gibbs brushed a tear from her face.

"You are so like her." He said. Louisa blinked at him, unsure of what to say at the pain so evident in his voice.

"Will you tell me about her?" She asked, absentmindedly stirring her coffee. Gibbs took a deep breath. He wasn't ready to talk about Jen, but the young girl sitting next to him deserved to know.

"Where to begin…"

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	4. You Have Her Eyes

"You have her eyes." Gibbs started, clutching at yet another coffee. I really should cut back, he thought as his hands shook slightly, although talking about Jen might have been making them shake. Louisa's eye lit up.

"I do?" She asked. Gibbs nodded.

"Just as expressive, no matter what your face says, its your eyes that mirrors your emotions." He took a sip of coffee. A loud ringing disrupted the moment and Gibbs groaned as he checked the caller display.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He snapped.

"_Where the hell are you? You team aren't saying anything, of course they aren't, they are so goddamn loyal to you. God knows why I bought them back._" Vance almost shouted down the phone. Gibbs rolled his eyes at Louisa who smiled in return.

"You bought them back cos I was even more of a bastard without them. Now what can I do for you, Director?" He resisted the urge to emphasize his title like he usually did. He heard Vance sigh.

"_I want you back here right now. I need to see you. You have 5 minutes Gibbs._" Before Gibbs could reply, the phone was slammed down and the dial tone sounded in his ear. Gibbs snapped the phone shut and looked at Louisa.

"I've gotta go back to work, but come with me and Ducky can tell you some stories about your mother, ok?" He stood up. She looked at him.

"It's ok Gibbs, thank you for today, but I should be going…" She trailed off as Gibbs held up his hand.

"Where are you gonna go?" He asked. She cocked her head at him again, and sighed dejectedly.

"Good point."

* * *

"How is he?" Gibbs asked Cynthia. She looked up at him and raised her eyes heavenward.

"Honestly Agent Gibbs, I don't really care. Go on in though, he is meant to be free and waiting for you." Cynthia turned back towards her computer. Gibbs knocked on the door, his habit of barging in had taken no time at all to get out of, this wasn't Jenny office anymore. It held no trace of her, not even a smallest hint of her perfume anymore. He sighed as he heard Vance beckon him in.

"Leon? What can I do for you?" He asked, placing himself in the chair in front of the desk. Vance spun around from the window and took out his toothpick.

"Who is that young girl you are parading around?" He asked. Gibbs scoffed.

"Parading? What's really on your mind Leon?" Gibbs crossed his arms in front of him. Vance glared at him. Even if he was the Director, Vance didn't intimidate Gibbs, he never had and he never would.

"Why is there a teenager running around the NCIS building?" Vance asked. Gibbs stood up.

"She is the daughter of a friend; she will be staying for a while." Gibbs reached for the door handle.

"Which friend? She looks remarkably like Jen Shepard." Gibbs froze, his jaw clenched, his fingers tightened around the handle.

"It doesn't really concern you Leon." He replied, shutting the door behind him. He shot Cynthia a sympathetic look at the intercom buzzer sounded. The last thing he heard was Cynthia's long suffering voice.

"Yes Director?"

* * *

"…and then your mother, Gibbs and I escaped in a stolen boat." Gibbs smiled at the memory and the sound of Louisa's laughter.

"My mother stole a boat?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it was only a small one though." Gibbs answered as he walked through the doors. Louisa turned to him and smiled, Ducky nodded.

"Doctor Mallard has some really interesting stories Gibbs and he says that no one ever lets him finish them." Louisa said, crossing her arms as if to chastise Gibbs. He held his hands up in defeat.

"I have heard them all, for a lot of them I was actually there." Gibb replied. Ducky placed a hand on Louisa's arm.

"Call me Ducky, my dear." He said, Louisa smiled.

"Louisa, where are you staying?" Gibbs asked. She looked at her feet.

"Ok, I can take a hint, thanks Ducky." She gave the old man a hug and looked at Gibbs. "Thank you for everything Gibbs." She said. Gibbs placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back into the chair she had been sitting on.

"I was asking because I wan concerned, not because I want to get rid of you." He said, her eye lit up again, but then she seemed to visibly deflate.

"I…um…" She began. Ducky smiled.

"Oh, it seems she has no where to stay Jethro, perhaps I could…" He started, knowing full well what Gibbs would do.

"No thanks Duck. Louisa, you're coming home with me."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	5. You still with us?

"Are you sure you don't mind? Wouldn't your wife mind you bringing home a 17 year old?" Louisa asked as she trailed behind Gibbs.

"Boss, you got married again?" Tony asked. Ziva threw a paper clip at him. He caught it mid air and grinned happily at her. She rolled her eyes and laughed as Gibbs's hand connected with the back of his head yet again.

"I'm not married." He explained to Louisa who raised her eyebrows.

"What did he mean by again? How many times have you been married?" She asked. Tony snorted and turned it into a cough when Gibbs glared at him.

"Too many." He replied. Louisa caught Tony gesturing to her out of the corner of her eyes and looked at him.

"Four." He mouthed, holding up four fingers and Louisa's eye widened. She resisted the urge to ask Gibbs if he had ever been married to her mother, partly because she thought the question would be too insensitive, the unwillingness of anyone here to talk about her mother was almost palpable. She pushed down the giggle that threatened to escape as Gibbs once again hit Tony for no reason as they walked out.

* * *

Louisa sat in the passengers seat of Gibbs's car. Her life had taken a dramatic turn over the last few months. Her foster mother had given her her blessing to look for her real mother, not that Louisa needed it, but it was only fair to the woman who had bought her up for the past 12 years. It had been dead end after dead end until she had finally tracked Jennifer Shepard down to NCIS in Washington. Unfortunately the trail had gone cold after that, 10 years ago, so she had got on a plane from Las Vegas on the off chance that someone at NCIS had known her and could tell Louisa where to find her. Miraculously she had bumped into, literally, Gibbs who had worked for NCIS, and with her mother. There was something he wasn't telling her about their work situation though, there was something he was hiding.

She sighed, she had come all this way only to find that her mother had died and from the reactions of everybody, only recently. There was something about how she died that Gibbs wasn't telling her either. They were going to have a serious chat later.

"You still with us?" Gibbs asked. She started, unaware of how long she had been staring out of the window.

"Yeah, sorry, just tired I guess. It has been a long couple of days." She shrugged and stared out of the window again. They didn't speak again until he pulled into his drive way. She slid out of the car, grabbing her backpack and slammed the car door shut. Gibbs pushed open the front door without unlocking it.

"Don't you lock your front door?" She asked incredulously.

"I don't have anything worth stealing." He answered, gesturing for her to come in. She stepped into the house. What immediately hit her was the lack of personal touches, Gibbs certainly got more of a mystery as time went on. She followed him into the kitchen.

"Dinner? What do you prefer?" He asked holding out several take out menus. She pointed to the Chinese take out and he nodded, putting the rest away.

"Gibbs?" She asked tentatively. He looked up from the menu, not liking her tone, knowing that he wasn't going to like her question.

"How did she die?" Louisa looked at him, her eyes, so like Jens, silently pleading with him to level with her. Gibbs took a deep breath and pulled a beer out of the fridge. He opened it, took a large sip and sat down at the kitchen counter. He pushed a stool out with his feet and Louisa climbed on to it.

"Your mother was stubborn." Louisa blinked, unsure of what this had to do with how she died, but she kept quiet. "She would never ask for help. She...it's a long story Louisa." He said. He shook his head and stood up.

"I'm not a child Gibbs, I have come all this way and no one will tell me anything. I understand you are upset, I can see it in your eyes, but she is...was...is my mother and I need to know where I came from." She cried. Gibbs sat back down.

"Ok, Louisa. But first of all, I need to know what you know...everything."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_

* * *


	6. I'm So Sorry

* * *

Louisa took a deep breath.

"My mother was only young when she had me. She gave me up for adoption, but I got put into foster care, I have been really lucky though, I have been with the same family for 12 years, my foster mother is, pretty much, my mother. I started looking for Jenny about 6 months ago. I went to the adoption agency, they only had an old address for her. I managed to find out that she had worked for NCIS but had gone to Paris 10 years ago. After Paris the trail goes cold and I could find anything else, so I came here, and found you. I don't know much about her, other than she was really beautiful. I have a picture." She pulled a small photo album out of her backpack and opened it. She seemed to find the picture without looking and handed it to Gibbs.

The picture made Gibbs swallow, hard. He hadn't seen her face since she went on her sabbatical, and he hated to admit how much he had missed it. He resisted the urge to run his fingers over her image. She was so young, smiling straight into the camera, over her shoulder, like someone had just called her name. He handed back the photo.

"Where did you get it from?" He asked.

"One of her old neighbours had it. They gave it to me, and said to say hello when I saw her. I guess I wont get that chance will I?" She wiped the back of her hand over her face. Gibbs handed her the Chinese menu.

"Choose some food and we will continue this discussion later."

* * *

Gibbs had ordered, show Louisa to the spare bedroom, given her towels and retreated to the basement. He ran his hands over the hull of the boat he was currently working on and sighed. This was harder than he thought. The memories of Jenny were still too fresh in his mind, and here was her daughter, running around his house, and his house had been empty for so long.

The creak of the stairs made him start and two bare feet made their appearance, followed by two legs and a head as Louisa bent down.

"The foods here." She said. Gibbs came up stairs, whilst he was paying for the food, Louisa stole downstairs into the basement. It smelled of sawdust and she breathed it in. She had always loved the smell, but their was something else lurking under the smell of sawdust, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. The boat in the middle of the basement surprised her. Not as much as the name etched onto the end of it. _Jenny_. Tears welled up as she traced the letters on the plaque. She didn't hear Gibbs descend the stairs, and she jumped when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Louisa, come eat." She turned towards him, tears flowing freely down her face.

"Why?" She pointed at the name plaque, unable to speak save for the one syllable. Gibbs looked at her and pulled her into a hug again. He smoothed her hair as she sobbed into his shirt. He couldn't blame her, she had found her mother only to find she had died, she was staying with an emotionally detached ass hole of a man who couldn't even tell her how her mother died.

"She was shot." He said quietly. Louise pushed away from him and turned red rimmed eyes to him. "She was shot protecting me." Louisa's eyes brimmed with tears yet again and she wound her arms around his waist again.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered to her, knowing Jenny would be laughing if she heard him apologising. Her reply was a single sob and her hands balling in the back of his shirt.

* * *

_I gave her a boat! Only because I think the writers will over look this highly important detail next season! _

_V!_

_xox_


	7. She's Definitely Your Daughter

Food eaten, shirts wet from tears changed, Louisa sat curled up on an old arm chair, nursing a mug of tea watching Gibbs work on the boat, her mothers boat.

"You loved her, didn't you?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence and causing Gibbs to snap his eyes towards her. Not for the first time, Louisa was struck by the color of them.

"It's complicated, Louisa." He replied. She sighed; she hated being treated like a child.

"Well make it simple." She said. To her surprise, Gibbs let out a laugh, something which she thought he didn't do enough.

"We were partners. We sent to Paris and um…" He trailed off.

"Things got complicated?" She offered, he shrugged.

"Yeah, things got complicated." He paused, taking a sip of beer. Louisa sat forward in the chair, waiting for him to continue. "Louisa, I'm not good with words." He finally admitted. Louisa smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. She pushed herself out of the arm chair and walked towards him. She patted his cheek lightly, just like her mother used to do occasionally.

"That's ok, I can see you're hurting too. I'm gonna turn in. Thank you Jethro." She walked up the stairs. Her voice was like Jens too, soft in the same way but when she had nearly shouted at him earlier, it had the same sharp tone. It had surprised him that she called him Jethro. Louisa really was a unique person, he looked at the ceiling.

"Well Jen, she is definitely your daughter"

* * *

"Louisa…Louisa." Gibbs shook the girl awake and her eyes snapped open. She rubbed them and sat up.

"What?" She asked, evidently irritated at being woken up, Gibbs stifled a laugh, Jenny was always bad at mornings too.

"I've got to go to work, you can come if you want or hang out here, although there isn't much to do." He smiled apologetically.

"I'll come with you, give me 10?" He nodded as he closed the door behind him. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to rub the sleep away. She had made up her mind last night, Gibbs was not going to avoid anymore questions. She swung her legs out of bed, if it was the last thing she did, she was going to get the truth.

* * *

"…and all it took was one smile from the DiNozzo and she was putty in my Morning Boss." Tony greeted mid sentence. He grinned at Louisa as he sat down.

"Ziva…would you show Louisa around, I have got paper work to catch up on?" Gibbs asked. The Israeli looked at Gibbs, she knew he had no paper work but hanging around with the daughter of the woman you had loved and lost had to be tough, especially for someone who didn't deal with emotions. She nodded and smiled at Louisa. Ziva gestured for her to follow her and walked to the elevators.

"So Louisa, what do you want to see?" She asked. The girl turned her intense green eyes towards Ziva.

"Where my mother's buried."

* * *

"Abby, who are you talking to?" Gibbs said as he walked into her lab, he had heard her muttering. She looked around guiltily.

"No one…ok, fine…I was talking to Ziva." She crossed her arms in front of her. Gibbs frowned.

"She's out with Louisa." He reasoned, handing her a caf-pow. She took a sip before she explained further.

"Ziva Mop." She said sheepishly. Gibbs patted her shoulder.

"Abby, they're back now, why do you still have them up?" He asked, she sighed.

"I get lonely down here sometimes…" She confessed, "And instead of talking to myself which is just weird, I talk to a mop."

"We can always get you another assistant?" He grinned, Abby pushed his shoulder gently.

"Not nice Gibbs…" She spun around, her pigtails swinging. "What can I do for you oh Great One?" She curtseyed.

"I…uh…" Abby looked at him, confused at the fact that Gibbs was lost for words.

"Need help conversing with a 17 year old?" She asked, Gibbs nodded. "Well sit down, and I will explain all."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	8. You left a big hole

"Are you sure?" Ziva asked yet again. The car journey to the cemetery had been full of the same question. Louisa knew Ziva was only trying to help, but why didn't anyone understand that she needed to do this? Louisa looked at the serious woman and nodded.

"I came here to see my mother." She said. Ziva nodded, indicating which head stone was Jenny's and hung back. The girl was strong for her age but even so, sitting at the grave side of your mother who you had missed by a matter of months was not something that could be dealt with lightly. Ziva watched as the girl placed her hand on the stone. She stood waiting for her, because she couldn't offer support right now, but she would wait here until she had finished.

* * *

The head stone loomed in front of her like a mountain. J_ennifer Shepard. Daughter, Partner, Friend. Missed by all who knew her. _Louisa reached out and placed a hand on the stone, tracing the letters as she had done yesterday on the boat.

"Hi…um…" She paused, her hand on the cold stone. "It's Louisa…your daughter. I know why you gave me up…I understand, but I wish that I had got here sooner." She sniffed and wiped a tear away. "There is so much I want to ask you. Gibbs won't tell me much, but he is hurting. I think you left a big hole." She sat on the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs. Leaning up against the head stone she picked a blade of grass and played with it.

* * *

Ziva's phone vibrated against her leg and she pulled it out of her pocket.

"David." She said quietly.

"_Where are you?_" Gibbs asked. Ziva sighed, she was waiting for this phone call.

"I am at the cemetery Gibbs." She replied, waiting for Gibbs's answer. He took a deep breath.

"_I'll be there in 15._" He snapped before hanging up. Ziva sighed again, Gibbs was going to drive away his one link to Jenny if he didn't let her in. She watched Louisa sit down and lean against the stone and Ziva readied herself for a long wait and an angry boss.

* * *

"I don't know what to call you," Louisa admitted. "Gibbs sometimes calls you Jenny when he doesn't think about it, when he is thinking her calls you Jen or 'your mother'. Maybe I should call you Jenny." She paused, trailing her fingers through the grass.

"Oh, he is building you a boat. I kinda get the feeling you will know what the means. I don't know if you knew this, Jenny, but he loves you. I can see it when he talks about you. I think I would have loved you too. I hope you would have loved me." She stopped and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"She would." A deep voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked round the grave stone. Gibbs stood holding to cups of coffee. He handed one to Louisa who took it and wrapped her fingers around it. Gibbs lowered himself to the ground with a groan.

"She would have loved you." He reiterated. "And, you're right…I did love her." He said finally.

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	9. I Found You

Louisa looked expectantly at him. He glanced at her, he knew he owed her more but he had never been good with words and emotions and opening up to anybody, especially Jen's 17 year old daughter was proving harder than he thought. He gripped the coffee cup, almost forgetting it was paper and it nearly spilt down his shirt.

"Your mother was an extraordinary woman Louisa. She made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world..." Louisa smiled at the thought and noticed Gibbs pause as if uncertain how to carry on. She gently squeezed his hand, surprisingly it gave him the strength to carry on.

"She started work with me 10 years ago. She was good at what she did. We were sent to Paris on a mission and...well you can imagine what happened." Louisa nodded. Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, noticing Ziva's almost imperceptible nod from the distance.

"She made a choice though and left Paris, went on to bigger and better things." He gestured towards Ziva, "She saved Ziva's life in Cairo." Louisa's eye widened at the thought of her mother saving the Israeli woman's life.

"Wow, really? You must have taught her well." Gibbs smiled slightly. He hated talking about this, he had buried it, and talking about her leaving and about her was bringing up things that he thought had been long forgotten. But the young girl sitting next to him, her cheeks tear stained, her eyes wide, she looked so like her mother he found he could deny her nothing.

"Maybe not well enough." He admitted, thinking about how if he had really taught her well, she would have called him. He would have been able to be there to help her. He knew that wouldn't have actually happened, he probably would have died with her, but at least he wouldn't be sitting her without her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Louisa looked at the man sitting next to her. She suddenly got the feeling that she would trust him with her life, no matter how lost and broken he looked right now. She got the feeling that her mother would approve of her running into Gibbs, especially because Jen wasn't here to giver her the answers she was looking for.

"Gibbs?" She said, he looked at her, the mask of indifference slipping back into place, not before Louisa caught the sadness in his eyes.

"I came here looking for answers, looking for Jenny. I found you. I guess that's the next best thing...thank you." She squeezed his hand again and stood up. She offered her hand to Gibbs who smiled at the thought of having to be helped up by a teenager and grasped the proffered hand.

"You ready to go home?" He asked. She shrugged.

"I don't really know where home is." She answered, walking towards the car. Gibbs put his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the head stones.

"Well, you'll always have a home here."

"All done?" Ziva asked with a smile. She placed her hand on Louisa's shoulder and guided her towards the car.

"For now." Louisa replied.

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	10. Thank You

Louisa sat at the airport, her book lay forgotten on her lap as she searched the crowd for Gibbs. He was pacing a few feet away, and by the look on his face, was trying not to shout at whoever was on the other end of his cell phone.

It had been an emotional couple of days. After the cemetery, Gibbs had opened up as much as he could, which still wasn't quite enough for Louisa, but it would have to do. He had explained, in simple terms what had happened to her mother, what kind of woman she had been and that up until recently she had actually run NCIS. Louisa felt a huge swell of pride at that, knowing it gave her the inspiration to work for better things.

"How is the phone?" She asked as Gibbs placed himself, unceremoniously, in the seat next to her. He glanced at her and she gestured to his phone. "You were gripping it hard enough to break it, does it still work?"

"I sincerely hope not." He replied and Louisa laughed. "It was my boss, he wants me back."

"That's ok, I'm ok waiting by myself." Louisa said. Gibbs put his arm around her shoulders and briefly pulled her to him.

"I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"So where is the boss man?" Abby asked as she bounced into the bullpen. McGee looked up at her and smiled. Abby ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Out with Louisa." Tony answered without looking up. Abby placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward. He looked up and jumped. "Christ Abby, don't do that…you learn that from Ziva or Gibbs?"

"Out where?" She asked.

"I dunno, he isn't answering his phone and Vance is going crazy." Tony answered. Ziva came round the corner.

"Vance has always been crazy, no? How sane is it to eat tooth picks?" She said. Abby grinned and put her hands on Ziva's shoulders.

"Where is the boss man?" She asked.

"He took Louisa to the airport." She answered. Tony looked up.

"Why are you the only one he told? I am the senior field agent, why does he never tell me anything? You're not taking my job are you Zee-vah?" He scowled at Ziva who smiled innocently.

"I like that girl, I think she has been really good for Gibbs. Do you see the way he smiles at her? I haven't seen Gibbs smile for too long. I hope she comes back." Abby swung from side to side. Tony nodded.

"He does seem a little bit more agreeable nowadays…who would have thought that a 17 year old would get Gibbs to open up?"

* * *

"So…I guess this is it." Louisa shifted from side to side, watching the other passengers board the plane.

"Yeah." Gibbs replied. He paused before pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

"So I was thinking Gibbs…" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a dangerous past time." Louisa smiled.

"I was thinking about applying to George Washington University…what do you think?" Gibbs brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"I think that's a great idea." She grinned at him.

"Then maybe we can take the boat out?" She suggested, "Don't burn this one." She waggled a finger at him. He laughed at her mock seriousness. He was going to have a word with Ducky about letting things slip when he got back.

"You've got my number, give me a call if you need anything." He picked up her backpack and handed it to her.

"What if I don't need anything?" She asked, taking the bag from him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Call me anyway." She pulled away.

"Thank you Gibbs, for everything. I'll see you soon." She turned to leave, handing her boarding pass to the hostess. She gave him a smile and a wave before she walked out of site.

"Thank _you_, Louisa."

_Thank you all for your reviews, they have been so lovely! That is the end of Louisa, hope you enjoyed it_

_V!_

_xox_


End file.
